Tow bar



C. WILLIAMS TOW BAR Filed Oct. 7, 1946 2 Y S WM M TA R mu o W W W A R m um a C. M III i- HZ, mm.

Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED STATES o-Frics TOW BAR Chester Williams, Ypsilanti, Mich, Application October 7, 1946, Serial No. 701,755

(01. 2&0w33J4- 4.-Glaims. i

This. invention relates to; automobile tow bars, and, has. particular reference: tov an. automobile tow baradanted tobe attached totherear-bump. enrofr a towing automobile. and the front bumper of: the: automobile. being.- towed.

obiect. of. the; invention. isto generally improverdeyicesof the character indicated, and to n rqii deza deyice whereby; oneman. cam drive one automobile; and tow; another automobile. behind the: driven. can.

. Another: object; of; the; invention. is to: generally improve automobile tow bars, and; to provide a dfiitiOBrWhii-th issimple inconstruction, economical to:- manufacture and; efficient.- in. operation- Another object of the invention. is the; movie 510111 o a. device of'the. character indicated which has universal adaptability to any type of automobile bumper, and one which may be attached to, or r moyed from. an. automobile,- bumper in a minimum of time.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device-of thecharacter indicated which has freedom of action vertically without. any strain on either the towingor the towed, automobile. bumper;

Another object of the invention is the; provision of adevice of the character indicatedrwhich may be applied to the bumper of the towing automobile without danger of damaging the gravel shield or any other part of the vehicle.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawings forming part of the within disclosure, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying my invention shown in towing position.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, my device consists of a pair of clamps 8 and 9, more particularly described hereinafter, adapted to respectively engage the bumpers l and H of a towed and towing automobile. The reference characters IA and HA indicate the bumper supports.

The clamps 8 and 9 are connected by a rectangular bar l3 and a ball and socket assembly I4 and I5. The bar I3 is secured to the body of the clamp 8 by a bolt I 6 so that it is free to pivot in a vertical plane. An oil fitting I1 is provided to lubricate the pivotal connection.

. The socket I is welded, as at l8, to the rec- 2 tangular-ban l3 and; engages the ball; M1 for universal" movement. The ban [4 is secured: to the end. ofsa-n. arm lifiiwhich bolted, as. at 20, and welded, asa-t 2h toitheclamp 9.

Thecl'ampssilaand areiea-chformed of. a chan nel; shaped: casting.- 22 which isprovided with longitudinally. positioned slots.- 23: and? 2& which are adapt-acct to accommodate the attaching bolts 2 5i and: 26; eachof which is: provided with an internally threaded lug 21 and 28. The lugs- 21. and 2.8: are provided; with transverse grooves 29; which grooves are adapted: to engage-the: opposite edges ofthe automobile: bumpers. MI and HI.

The. belt 25 is; secured; in any. desired position inthaslotzzfi (Fig.2); by means of't-he nuts 36 and; 3:J',.and" the washer 32 The 51017522332L11d24 are; provided so.- th-at1 the bolts; 25a and. 2a may be; adilustecb on. the castings 2-2 to accommodate any width; of; bumper.

Secured by welding or other suitable means. on theinside andsnearone. end: of. each. casting 22 is alsadd-lle member 335, having! 811.510; 3.4: (Fig. 2). in alienment: withstheslot 2.4;, The saddle member 33.- hasran inwardly curved central: portion. 35 adapted;- to; accommodate: a rocker member 56, which is; centrally bored. as. at: 31;. to accommoa dateithe bolt-26am that th-e boltaZfismay be rocked into angular position with reference to the longitudinal axis of the casting 22. This structure is provided so that the lug 28 on the bolt 26 may be made to fit any type of bumper having either a straight or a curved cross section. The bolt 26 is provided with a terminal member 38, through which is slidably extended a bar 39, whereby the bolt 26 may be rotated to effect a clamping action between its lug 28 and the casting 22.

Secured to opposite sides of the castings 22 by welding or other suitable means are L-shaped angle plates 40 and 4| which serve to absorb the thrust placed upon the castings 22. Resilient pads 42 are secured to the backs of the L-shaped members 40 and 4| by means of rivets 43 or other suitable means so that the bumpers l0 and H will not be scratched or damaged.

When installing the tow bar, the clamp 9 carrying the ball and socket assembly l4 and i5 is secured to the bumper ll of the towing automobile, and the clamp 8, which is pivoted to the end of the bar 3, is secured to the bumper ID of the towed automobile. This arrangement is essential to the proper functioning of the tow bar for the reason that when making a turn the ball and socket assembly I 4 and I5 relieves the rear bumper of the towing automobile of substantially all 3 thrust, but exerts sufficient thrust on the front bumper of the towed car to cause the towed automobile to follow the towing automobile by reason of the caster, camber and tow in of the front wheels of the car being towed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a simple bumper to bumper tow bar which is effective in operation, particularly for short hauls.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tow bar of the character described adapted for bumper to bumper attachment between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, comprising a comparatively long and a comparatively short section, a ball and socket joint between the said sections, the said short section having a clamp rigidly secured thereto, said clamp being arranged to be secured to the rear bumper of the towing vehicle and the long section having a clamp pivotally secured thereto, said last named clamp being arranged to be secured to the front bumper of the towed vehicle, each of said clamps consisting of a channel member having an outwardly extending thrust plate on each side thereof, said channel member having longitudinal slots therein adapted to accommodate attaching bolts, attaching bolts in said slots, and lugs on said bolts adapted to engage the edges of an automobile bumper.

2. In a device of the character described adapted for bumper to bumper attachment between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, the combination of a clamp adapted to engage the rear bumper of the towing vehicle, a bar secured for universal movement to said clamp, a second clamp being adapted to be secured to the front bumper of the towed vehicle and means for attaching said second clamp to said bar so that the said bar may be moved vertically with respect to said clamp, each of said clamps comprisin a channel member having thrust plates on the back thereof adapted to engage the face of the vehicle bumper, slots in said channel members adapted to engage attaching bolts, attaching bolts in said slots, threaded lugs on said attaching bolts adapted to engage the edges of the vehicle bumper,

4 one of said attaching bolts having a bore therein adapted to accommodate a slidable bar whereby said bolt may be rapidly threaded into its lug.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, in which each of said channel members is provided with a slotted arcuate member, said arcuate member having its slot in alignment with a slot of said channel member, and said arcuate member being adapted to cooperate with a rocker carried on one of said attaching bolts.

4. In a device of the character described including a towing and a towed vehicle having bumpers, the combination of a tow bar having double sections of unequal length, the longer of which sections is secured for limited movement to a clamp attached to the front bumper of the towed vehicle, the shorter of said sections being rigidly attached to a clamp secured to the rear bumper of the towing vehicle, there being a ball and a socket joint between said sections and positioned in closely spaced relation to the clamp which is secured to said rear bumper of the towing vehicle, each of said clamps comprising a member having aligned longitudinal slots, attaching bolts in said slots, one of said bolts having means associated therewith for holding it in various angular positions with reference to the longitudinal axis of said first named member, thrust plates extending outwardly from said first named member and adapted to contact one surface of the vehicle bumper, and threaded lugs on said bolts adapted to contact an opposite surface of said bumper, whereby upon rotation of said bolts said bumper is impinged between said thrust plates and said threaded lugs.

CHESTER WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,127,387 Brattain Aug. 16, 1938 2,162,100 McGregor June 13, 1939 2,231,592 Porter Feb. 11, 1941 2,243,347 Klein et al May 27, 1941 

